First Reform councillor for Plymouth after shock defection"Every fibre of my body wants to help Reform win the next election”View Image Cllr Steve Ricketts (Image: Reform UK)Drake councillor Steve Ricketts has left the Independents to join Reform UK and become the party’s first councillor on Plymouth City Council. This includes my recent motion to prioritise Plymouth residents in council housing. He said under a Reform council Plymouth would excel and not be “suffocated by taxation”. ‌Asked whether another defection would affect his credibility as a councillor, Cllr Ricketts said: "I have showed incredible loyalty to the Drake ward for 20 years. He said: “Councillor Ricketts stood in 2023 as an environmentally-minded Independent.

Source: Daily Mirror February 25, 2026 23:05 UTC